The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-02-17

By the closer light of the lantern he was sur
prised to find it was from laughter.
"Ireckoned you'd be right lonely down there
with that Stanner crowd, partickerly after
that little speech o your'n, so / sez to NAV
I'd get you up yer for a spell. Nav and
heerd you exhort 'eml Nav allowed you WOE
tallin' furrin tongue all along, but I-sakes
alive!-I he'd to hump myself to keep from
bustin' into yell when yer jist drawed them
Webster unabridged sentences on 'em.' She
stopped and rocked backward and forward
with a laugh that, subdued by the proximity
of the roof and the fear of being overheard
was by no means unmusical an tell ye
whot got me, thought That part commenc
ing: 'Suckamstances over which I've no con
trout"
"oh, come! didn't say that y interrupted
Hale, laughing
Don't make it convenient for me to exer.
else tho privilege of kickin' yer out to that
EXTENT" she continued; but if cannot
dispense with your room, the least l can say
is that it's d-d sight better than your com
pany'-or suthin' like that! And then the
way you minded your stops and let your
voice rise and fall jest ez easy ez if you wos q
First Reader in large type. Why, the kernel
wasn't nowhere. His cussin' didn't come
within mile o yourn. That Stanner jist
turned yaller."
"rm afraid you are laughing at me-" said
Hale, not knowing whether to be pleased or
vexed at the girls amusement.
Il reckon I'm the only one that dare do it,
then" said the girl, simply. "The kernel seq
the way you turned round after he'd done his
cussn', and said yer believed you'd stay and
take the responsibility of the whole thing
and did in that kan, soft, did-any nybody-speak-
tome style-was the neatest thing he'd seen
yeti No! Nav says amt much ON man
ners, but l know man when see him."
For an instant Halo gave himself up to the
delicious aattery of unexpected, unintended
and apparently uninterested compliment.
Becoming at last q little embarrassed under
the frank curiosity of the girls dark eyes he
changed the subject.
"Do you always come up here through the
stables?" he asked, glaneing round the room,
which was evidently her own
II reckon she answered, half abstract
edly. There's ladder down thar to
maw's room"-pointing to a trap door be-
side the broad chimney that served as a
wall-"but it's handler the other way, end
nearer the hosses eff you want to get away
quick"
This palpable suggestion-borne out by
what he remembered of the other domestic
details-that the house had been planned
with reference to sudden foray or escape re-
awakened his former uneasy reflections.
Zeenie, who had been watching his face,
added, "Its no slouch, when bar or painters
hang round nights and stampede the stock,
to be able to swing yourself on to hoss,
whenever you hear row goin' on outside"
"Do you mean that you"-
"Paw used, and do now, sense I've come
into the room" She pointed to a monde
script garment, half cloak, half habit, hang
| ing on the wall. "I've been outer bed and
| on Pitchpine's back as far ez the trail five
minutes arter heard the first below"
Hale regarded her with undisguised as
tonishment. There was nothing at all Anna
zonian or horsey in her manners, nor was
lASiC CNSii oLo iOpuop phN oiNoi SohtOui tHdl
might have been developed through such
| experiences. On the contrary she seemed to
lazily effeminate in body and mind. Heed
less of his critical survey Of her, she beck
oned him to draw his chair nearer, and,
looking into his eyes, said:
"Whatever possessed you to take to huntin'
menF'
Hale was staggered by the question, but
nevertheless endeavored to explain. But he
was surprised to find that his explanation ap
peared stilted even to himself, and, he could
not doubt, was utterly incomprehensiblo to
the girl She nodded her head, however, and
| continued:
"Then you haven't anythin' agin' George!'
~ don't know George" said Hale smiling.
"My proceeding was against the highway
| man."
| "Well, he was the highwayman."
! u mean it was the principle objected to
principle that I consider highly dangerous.
swell, he is the principal, for the Others
only helped, I reckon" said Zeenie, with q
sigh, "and 1 reckon he is dangerous"
Hale saw it was useless to explain. The girl
continued:
"What made you stay here instead Of go
in on with the kernels There was suthin
else besides you wanting to make that Stan
ner take water. What is it?"
A light sense of the propinquity of beauty
of her confidence, of their isolation, of the
eloquence Of her dark eyes, at first tempted
Hale to a reply of simple gallantry; a
graver consideration of the same circum
stances froze it upon his lips
II don't know" he returned awkwardly.
"Well, I'll tell you," she said. "You
didn't cotton to the Kernel and Rawlini
much more than you did to Stanner They
amt your kind"
In his embarrassment Hale blundered upon
the thought he had honorably avoided.
Suppose he said, with constrained laugh
u had stayed to see you?"
II reckon l amt your kind, NEITHER" she
replied promptly. There was a momentary
pause, when she rose and walked to the chin
ney. ats very quiet down there" she said
STOPPING and listening over the roughly
boarded floor that formed the ceiling of the
room below II wonder what's going on"
In the belief that this was a delicate hint
for his return to the party he had left, Hale
rose, but the girl passed him hurriedly, and
opening the door, cast quick glance into tho
stable beyond.
"Just as / reckoned-ti. horses are gont
too. They've skedaddled," she said, blankly
Hale did not reply. In his embarrassment
a moment ago the idea Of taking an equally
sudden departure had flashed upon him
Should he take this as justification Of thai
impulse, or howl He stood irresolutely
gazing at the girl, who turned and began t.
descend the stairs silently. He followed
When they reached the lower room they
found it as they had expected-deserted.
II ho1e didn't drive them away" sait
Hale, with an uneasy look at the troubled
face of the girl. "For really had an idea o.
going myself moment ago.
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